Book One: Family Secrets
by Sensula
Summary: Draco learns he has a sister. He doesn't know what to do when his mother invites her to live with them. Mostly because she grew up as a cow hand in Pennsylvania. But he quickly likes being a big brother. But it will take a lot to have a true family.
1. Chapter 1

Draco almost chocked on his morning tea. "I have a what?" he said once he stopped coughing his lungs up.

His mother watched him patiently. "A sister," she said. "Well, a half sister."

Draco wiped his mouth with a napkin. His mother didn't seem too overly upset or angry. She was...calm. "How the hell do I have a sister?" he asked.

"Draco, language," his mother chastised. "As for the answer to your question. Your father had an affair not to long after you were born. It was with a muggle on a business trip to the Americas. He got a girl pregnant."

Draco stared, unsure of what to say. His mother just told him that his father, her husband, had had an affair with a muggle and that there was a child between them. She wasn't angry. That was what settled weirdly with him. "What are you planning, mother?" he asked.

She smiled. "I think your father should meet his daughter," she said.

He paled. "Does he even know she is alive?" he asked.

Narcissa shook her head. "Lucius is oblivious. But I have been keeping tabs on the girl for some time now. This is her." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a picture. She handed it to Draco.

He took the picture and looked at it. Thankfully, it was a wizard picture (he didn't like the still muggle ones). In it was a girl sitting on a tree limb. She wore a pair of jeans, a black t shirt, a blue zip up sweatshirt, and cowboy boots. Draco stared at her face, though. She was young, probably a year younger than his 19 years, and she had bright blond hair pulled back into a pony tail, a small tendril of hair framing her face. Her blue-hazel eyes smiled at whoever was taking the picture. The girl waved from the photo, laughing and smiling as if she didn't have a care in the world.

"Her name is Marian, but her friends call her Maria," Narcissa said. "She lives on a farm in the Dutch country of Pennsylvania, USA. Some place called East Berlin, I believe. She has been known as Maria Yoder for the entirety of her 18 years of life. She graduated from some school named Bermudian and is attending a community college called HACC. Dreadful name. She's majoring in Business Administration and minoring in Security and Defense.

"She has another half brother by the name of Andrew. His is the son of her mother and her husband. He is older than her by two years. Other than that, she has no siblings or family. Her mother and stepfather have raised her, never telling her who her real father is. This is them." Narcissa, who had sounded like she was reading a report, handed over another photo. This one was a muggle picture.

The woman that looked back had long blond hair that was starting to grey. She had hazel eyes that smiled at the camera. The older man was taller than her, with black hair that was also greying. The younger boy had dark blond hair and a beard forming. He looked slightly bored. All of them were standing in front of a big red truck. There was nothing special or significant about them.

Draco looked up at his mother. "Why bring Marian here now?" he asked. "You've had 18 years to bring her here, but you didn't. Why now?"

Narcissa smirked. "Lucius needs to pay for what he's done to this family. I want to rub his affair in his face."

"And what about Marian?" Draco said, curious about his mother's plan. "Something tells me that convincing Marian to leave her muggle family and come all the way over to England to wound father's pride, is going to be an easy task."

Narcissa chuckled. "You leave that to me, dear," she said. "I'm just warning you now."

Draco stared at the photo of his half sister. She looked at a cat on a limb above her and she tossed a leaf at it, laughing as the cat tried to catch it. She looked so...normal. Like she hadn't been in a dysfunctional family. Suddenly, he needed to talk to a friend.

He stood up. "I'm going to go to Blaise's," he said.

Narcissa nodded. "I understand," she said. "Just know that you aren't to say a word to your father when he returns from his trip to France. Then again, if we plan this out, he'll be greeted by his entire family." They way she said it, it sounded like she had some evil plan going. Probably did, though.

Draco nodded and slipped the picture of his sister into his pocket before walking over to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of Floo powder and tossed it into the flames, calling out, "Zabini Mansion."

He appeared in the Zabini Mansion's fireplace. As he stepped out, he was greeted by a disturbing sight. Pansy and Blaise snogging heavily on the couch. Draco let out a dramatic cry and cringed. "Merlin!" he said. "Warn a guy, will you?"

Blaise looked up and Pansy jerked into a sitting position, smoothing her skirt free of wrinkles. Her face was slightly red, but Blaise was calm and cool.

"My house, my rules," he said.

Draco shrugged. "Whatever," he said.

Pansy cleared her throat and took over the role of hostess. "What brings you here, Draco?" she asked.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture. He tossed it to his friends and sank into a chair. As they studied the picture, Pansy's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Who is this?" she asked.

Draco watched his friends closely, wondering if they would have the same reaction as he had. "She's my half sister from my father's affair with a muggle."

The two looked at him as if he'd just lost his mind. "Sister!" Pansy shrieked. Draco winced at the pitch. "You have a sister?"

"Yeah," Draco said. "She's 18. Grew up in a muggle family. Her name's Marian."

Blaise blinked. "How-"

"My mother," Draco said. "She wants to surprise my father when he returns from his trip. She wants Maria there so she can rub it in his face."

"Poor girl," Pansy said. "Being used like that." She looked at the picture, then back up. "When do you go get her?"

Draco shrugged, but the fireplace flashed green and Narcissa walked out, dressed in her best muggle clothes. "Draco," she said. "It's time we collected your sister."

Draco looked at his friends. "Now, I guess," he said.

**I wanted to have some fun with this idea. It's going to be in three stories. The first, this one, is going to be Draco getting use to and connecting with his new found sister. The second story, which has yet to be written, will be Draco and finding love. The third, also yet to be written, will be of Marian and finding love. So, just letting you know.**


	2. Chapter 2

Draco didn't know where his mother had apparated them to. The only thing he knew was that there was a lot of hay. It was everywhere, sticking to his clothes. He looked around, expecting his mother to be upset that her robes my be ruined, but found her sitting on a hay bale, watching something below them. He walked over to her and stared down.

They were in a barn. That was obvious from the two horse stalls and other barn equipment below them on the ground floor. Apparently, they were in a hay loft that overlooked the entire lower level of the barn. It gave them the perfect vantage point for what was about to happen.

The barn door opened and a girl walked in. Draco automatically recognized Marian. Her hair was back in a ponytail, just like the picture. She was wearing a velvet black skirt that swirled around her ankles, revealing a pair of black heals that looked like they were designed for ballroom dancing. She was wearing a shirt with black and white stripes, but it was hard to see as she was wearing a dark blue zip up sweatshirt, the sleeves pushed back to her elbows.

Marian walked over to another door, opened it, leaned out, and let out a sharp whistle. "Boys, come," she said before turning and walking over to a container. Draco watched as she leveled some grain and took a flake of hay, and dropped them into a feeder. She did it again with another feeder. By this time, two horses had made their way in and walked into their stalls without any other word from her. She shut the doors, locked the animals in, and stood there. Draco wondered what she was waiting for.

Suddenly, Marian sat down at a table and said, "Are you going to stay up there all night, Cissy? Or are you going to join me down here?"

Draco was stunned, but his mother just stood up and apparated down next to the table. Draco followed suit, appearing next to his mother. He stared at the girl in front of him. Up close, he could distinguish some of his father's features in her. Her hair was the same color as Lucius' and she had the same chin and eye shape. Other than that, she didn't look a think like him.

She looked at him. "You must be Draco. My half brother," she said. Her eyes traveled over him slowly, as if taking an inventory. She met his eyes and stood up, extending her hand. "I'm Maria, though, if it makes you feel better, call me Marian. Pleased to meet you."

He shook her hand, noticing the callouses on her palm. She was a hard worker, it seemed, from the rough feel of her hands. He opened his mouth, but the barn door slammed open. Narcissa pulled Draco into the shadows so they wouldn't be seen. The boy from the second photograph, Maria's other half brother, popped his head in. "Hey, Maria," he said. "Can you throw out a few bales for the cows? I have a date tonight." Marian shrugged. "Thanks," he said and he was gone, closing the door.

She turned to her guests and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but I just have to do this very quickly." Marian turned and pulled three bales down from the tall stack against the farthest wall. She lifted them up, resting the weight on her hip a she walked the first bale to a door. She pushed it open and threw the bale out as if it were a simple rock. Draco watched, amazed at her strength, as she repeated this two more times with the other bales. Once she was done, she brushed the hay off her skirt and retook her seat, sitting

Narcissa sank into a chair opposite her and said, "Have you thought about what I have offered?"

Marian nodded. Draco was majorly confused. Marian saw this and smiled. "Cissy came to me a few months ago. She told me about the affair my mother had with your father shortly after you were born. I'm sorry for that . Cissy said that I could help her by coming and being rubbed in his face."

"You don't mind?" Draco asked.

Marian shook her head, smiling. "Not at all. Because, in return for helping you, I get to go to a magic University to get my degree. Not to mention, I'm going to become an Auror. I've already been accepted into training."

Draco stared. "You know about the Wizarding world?" he asked, stunned.

"I may have been raised by Muggles, Draco, but I was trained privately. I know everything about the Wizarding world. Dumbledore saw to that. At the time, I didn't know why he wanted me to be taught secretly.," Marian shrugged. "I guess I know now. It was so no one would know about me."

Narcissa reached out and patted Marian's hand. "You realize that, in going with us, you're going to have to leave your family behind? They would have little to no place in our world," she said. Draco stared at his mother. She was being...nice.

Marian smiled and picked up a satchel. Draco hadn't seen her bring it in before, but noticed it now. It was made of worn brown leather, soft with wear, and it was full. "All of my things are packed in here. The room is just as it would look if it were a guest room. I'm ready to leave whenever the spell making them forget about me."

Draco stared at his sister. She had just explained that she was giving up her entire muggle life to help his mother in some plan of petty revenge against his father...and she was as cool about it as Draco was about choosing which shoes to wear in the morning. "Why are you so calm about giving up your life?" he asked out of the blue.

Marian looked up and said, "Why would I stay here? My mother, though she loves me, favors my brother. My stepfather...he doesn't bother with me so much. I'm a farm hand here. At least in England, I can go to a University and do something good with my life. Be useful for something other than throwing out bales for the cows." She stood up and said, "Cissy and I have been meeting for a couple of weeks, so I know she has accepted me into the family. But do you?"

Draco stared. Did he accept her? He'd only just found out that he had a half sister, his father was a lying-cheating piece of crap, his mother wanted revenge on being humiliated, his sister was going to come live with them, she acted totally cool, and she was worried about _him_ accepting her?

"Yes," she said. "I'm worried about it because, even if I don't have that good of a relationship with my brother Andrew, I would like to have a relationship with my brother Draco. And if he's going to resent me being at the Manor, then the entire plan would be wasted, now wouldn't it?" Draco was confused at what she was saying until she explained. "You were thinking out loud."

He blushed a bit. "Look," he said. "I just found out about you an hour ago, okay? I'm still a bit in shock. I knew my father was a bastard, but..."

"This confirms it," Marian finished for him. She sighed and looked at her watch. "Well, can you at least stand my presence until you accept me into the family? Because, really, the mind wipe spell I put on them is going to activate in three minutes. I'd rather not be here when they forget wether the horses are in or not and have to come out here to check."

"You put a timer on a mind wipe spell?" Draco asked. When she nodded, he smiled. "I'm impressed." He extended his hand and said, "I guess I can 'stand your presence', Marian. As long as you teach me a few spells."

She smiled and nodded. "You got it, Draco," she said, shaking his hand.

"Just one more question," he said.

"Sure," Marian answered.

"What's with the shoes?"

Marian looked down at her heels and smiled. "I had Ballroom lessons today."

Draco smiled. "Well, if you ever need a partner, I dance a mean Cha-cha," he said

Narcissa smiled. "I'm so glad you two are getting along," she said. "I was afraid you would be at each other's throats."

"Still might happen," Marian said, still smiling. "After living with each other, I might be tempted to hex him a couple of times. Lord knows I do with Andrew."

Narcissa chuckled. "True." She folded her hands. "Do you know where to apparate?" she asked. Marian shook her head. "Draco, would you mind side apparating with her?" He shook his head. "Good. I'll meet you at home, then." She then apparated away.

Marian smiled at Draco and touched his arm. "Ready when you are," she said.

He nodded and apparated them to the manor's parlor.

Marian stumbled into his side a bit at the landing, but he kept her upright by wrapping an arm around her waist. She look up at him and smiled. "Thanks," she said.

"Who's this, Draco?" a cold voice said, making them both look up. Lucius had walked into the parlor. "One of your..." He trailed off as he looked at Maria.

She smiled and stepped forward. "Are you Mr. Lucius Malfoy?" she asked. He nodded, stunned speechless. "Then I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Marian. I was a Yoder, though I guess I'm a Malfoy now." She gave a sweet smile. "I'm your daughter. Nice to meet you, Dad."

Lucius stared at her. Then promptly fainted.

Marian looked at Draco. He was smiling. "I think I like him better this way," he admitted.

**AN: I just couldn't resist making Lucius faint. It was too good to use. So, review and tell me what you think of the story.**


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of raindrops hitting the roof echoed in the mansion. In a study not used very often, there was an alcove with a comfy window seat built under a set of beautiful stain glass windows. Draco sat on the window seat, his back leaning against the wall. His sister sat between his outstretched legs, resting against his chest. Her head was tucked under Draco's chin and they watched the rain fall down the glass before them. The sound of the rain was comforting.

Not far off, though, they could hear Lucius and Narcissa yelling at each other. They'd been at it for hours, now. As soon as Lucius had woken up, he'd called for his wife. When she had arrived, he had started yelling.

_Flashback_

_ "What is this it doing here?" he yelled, pointing at Maria. She didn't even flinch._

_ Narcissa frowned. "Maria is here because she is your daughter, Lucius. I believe you remember Karen Yoder? Pennsylvania about 19 years ago? A muggle."_

_ Lucius paled. "You know about that?" he said. Narcissa nodded. He looked at Marian and studied her. His silver eyes traveled over her face. "You look just like her," he mumbled more to himself than anyone._

_ Marian smiled slightly. "You have a very good memory for someone who hasn't been in my, or my mother's, life for 19 years. How do you know I look like her? Maybe I look like you." She chuckled at his confused look. "No worries. You'll have a while to figure out whom I look more like, Malfoy." She turned to Draco and asked, "Which room should I take?"_

_ Lucius froze. "What do you mean 'room'?" he asked._

_ Marian looked back at him. "I'm going to be staying here. Well, until I have completed my Auror training and get a place of my own." She turned to Draco and said in a low voice just for him, "I think we should leave. They're going to start screaming at each other soon."_

_ Draco nodded and led her out of the parlor and to the second floor. _

_End of Flashback_

Draco was snapped out of his memory as Marian reached out with her hand. She touched the glass with the tip of her pointer finger. Her fingernail was even and perfectly manicured. Draco watched as she wrote something on the class. As she let her finger drop, the words began to glow a dark green and blue. 'Foi dans ceux que vous aimez'.

"What does that mean?" he asked.

Marian looked up, smiling. "Didn't you learn French in that school of yours?" she asked.

He shook his head. "Nope."

Marian smiled. "It means 'Faith in those you love'. It's my motto, kinda."

"Kinda?" Draco repeated questioningly.

She smiled. "I put faith in those I love, but sometimes, you have to put faith in people that you hate." She chuckled. "I once got partnered with this obnoxious guy for gym. I hated him because he would call me names and torment me. We fought worse than cats and dogs. But there was a complicated move that needed a person's complete trust. It was graded, so we put our differences aside and aced our test. We weren't best friends after that, but we were basic friends."

Draco looked at the words on the glass. They had stopped shimmering and were starting to fade. He reached out and wrote his own motto on the glass. Marian waited for the green light to settle. "Olhe onde pouce véem," she said out loud. "Portuguese."

Draco smiled. His sister was smart. Good. He couldn't stand dumb people. "Do you know what it means?" he asked.

Marian chuckled, the vibrations bouncing against his stomach. "'Look where few see'," she said. "Good motto."

Draco rested his chin on the top of her head again, looking out at the rain. It was really coming down out there. He suddenly said, "Why did you choose French?"

"Why did you choose Portuguese?" she asked back.

"I'll tell you if you tell me," he said.

"On the count of three, then," she said.

Draco chuckled. He usually didn't like children games. They were useless and immature. But the way Marian acted, being childish without loosing dignity, was something he liked. "Alright," he said.

"One, two...three," Marian said.

"It sounds cool," they said at the same time. They looked at each other and laughed.

Draco smiled down at her. "You know, we've only known each other for an hour or so, but I know we're going to get along just fine."

"Until I embarrass the hell out of you in front of a girl you like," Marian said.

He smiled, pulling her into a hug. "I guess that's what family does," he said. This was extremely uncharacteristic for him. He never accepted someone this quickly after meeting them. Then again, after the war and his last year at Hogwarts, he'd changed. Less arrogant and snobbish. Marian was like none of the girls he'd met and he liked that she was making him feel like a big brother. He'd always wanted siblings. Suddenly, he got an idea.

He stood up and grabbed her hand. "Come on," he said. "Father and Mother are going to be yelling for a good while. I want to introduce you to my friends." Marian grabbed her satchel, throwing it over her shoulders, just in time for her to be dragged over to a fireplace. Draco grabbed a handful of Floo powder, threw it on the flames, pulled Marian in with him, and yelled out "Blaise Mansion."

They stepped out of the fireplace and Draco was met with the sight of his best friends snogging heavily on the couch. "Twice in one day," he said loudly.

The two jumped apart. "I'm going to start blocking that fireplace," Blaise growled. Marian giggled from behind Draco. Blaise leaned to the side. "Who's she?" he asked.

Draco reached behind him and guided Marian from behind him. Pansy and Blaise stared at her. "Marian, this is Blaise Zabini and Pansy Parkinson, my best friends. Guys, this is Marian Malfoy, my sister."

She smiled, waving shyly. "Pleased to meet you both," she said. "Call me Maria."

Pansy was the first to react. She stood up and walked over to them. She stopped in front of Marian and stared. Draco began to worry that she would do something dramatic from feeling threatened that another girl was replacing her in his life. Pansy reached out and pulled her into a hug. "Welcome, Maria," she said, surprising everyone. She pulled back and smiled. "Maybe Draco will lessen up with a little sister around."

Marian laughed. "I'll try to make him less stiff," she said.

Blaise met Draco's eyes in a serious look. "How did you dad take it?" he asked.

Draco stiffened a bit. Marian saw this. "We left him and Narcissa yelling at each other," she said. "We left after I gave him the news that I was going to be living in the manor until my Auror training was completed and I had a place of my own."

Pansy stared. "You didn't," she said.

"She did," Draco said, slightly proud of his sister. She had the Malfoy boldness.

Pansy hugged Marian again. "Oh, I like you already," she said. "We are going to get along perfectly. Now, if you have any questions about us, we'll be more than happy to answer, as long as you answer the same questions." She pulled Marian over to another couch nearby and sat her down. She waved her wand and a tea tray appeared.

Draco and Blaise joined them, having no other choice. Besides, it was close to lunch and Pansy set a nice table. Draco took a chair near Marian, while Blaise took a chair next to Pansy. Pansy poured them all cups of tea and handed one to Marian.

"Now," Pansy said. "When did you find out that the man who raised you wasn't your father?"

"Pansy!" Draco said, appalled that his friend was asking such a question.

"About a week after my science fair project on genetics in fifth grade," Marian answered smoothly. "I noticed few similarities between my stepfather and myself. It wasn't that hard to know that someone else had sired me. Next question." She took a sip of tea. Her eyes widened and she looked at Pansy. "This is the best tea I've ever tasted, Pansy. It's so rich and smooth. Tell me, what is it?"

Pansy beamed. "It's just regular Earl Grey. I thought that we could have a light tea before lunch. You will stay for lunch, won't you?"

Marian smiled. "I would love to." She looked at her brother. "Is that alright with you, Draco? I don't know if there's something else that you wanted to do today."

Draco nodded his head, stunned into silence.

"What was that?" Blaise asked.

Marian knew he was talking about her manner. She smiled and said, "I assume that Pansy was talking so bluntly because she wanted to see how I would handle having such inappropriate questions shot my way by reporters when this hits the fan. It's not everyday that one of Voldemort's oldest Death Eater families, who defected before the final battle, has a new member show up. Especially if that member is the by product of an affair and had been living in America for the past 18 years, pretending to be a 'Yoder'. They're going to have a field day." Marian turned to Pansy. "How did I do?" she asked.

Pansy smiled. "Couldn't do better if I tried," she said.

"So, you shagged any good boys lately?" Blaise asked.

Pansy shot him an irritated look. "I doubt that will be one of the questions-"

"Sorry, no," Marian said. She leaned forward a bit. "But you won't believe what this one girl can do. She takes this small feather and-"

"I think," Draco said quickly, "That Marian can handle herself." He looked at Marian and she smiled softly. He could see that she was jerking Blaise's chain.

Tea continued with pleasant, and appropriate, conversation. It was like they'd always been friends. Marian and Pansy had even gotten the boys to agree to take them to Diagon Alley after Tea.

"Oh," Pansy said as they stood to leave. "You can't go dressed like that. You're far too muggle. I'm assuming you don't have anything less muggle, so you'll borrow one of my outfits. I have a pretty periwinkle sundress that would look wonderful with your complexion."

"But it's raining outside," Marian pointed out. "It'll get wet."

"Not to worry. It comes with a jacket that magically keeps all rain off of you without damaging the fabric," Pansy said, pulling her out of the room.

Blaise turned to Draco. "You sure you have an interesting sister," he said. Draco nodded. "Can you handle the reporters? That Rita Skeeter is going to be all over this story."

Draco looked at his friend. "I think Marian can handle herself," he said. He looked at the door the two girls had left by. "But I'll be close at hand just in case."


	4. Chapter 4

Marian sat on Pansy's bed in only her underwear, as Pansy had told her to strip, and stared at the dresses Pansy was looking through. There were so many hanging in the closet, they sort of blended together. It looked like there were enough dresses to stock a small store. And these were just the sundresses. Her formal gowns were more impressive.

"Pansy," Marian said. "Why are you doing this for me?" she asked.

Pansy looked up, holding up the dress she was looking for. She pulled Marian up and slid the dress over her body. It reminded her of when her friends would dress her up for fun. Pansy started talking while she smoothed the fabric over Marian's curves. "I'm doing this because, one, you're Draco's sister. Two, I want to be your friend. Three, you need to look your best for the reporters. And, four, you look good in periwinkle." Pansy walked over to a jewelry box and came back with a simple silk periwinkle chocker, fastening it around Marian's neck. Pansy pulled Marian's ponytail loose and used her fingers to fluff her hair.

She put her hands on Marian's shoulders and turned her to face a mirror. Marian stared at her reflection. The sundress was like silk against her skin, brushing lightly over her body, and flared around her knees. The straps were thin, barely hidden by her wavy blond hair that fell around her shoulders. The color of her dress and chocker made her eyes pop brightly. She didn't usually wear these kinds of things; it wasn't practical on a farm. But even she had to admit that she looked good.

Pansy came out of the closet again, holding a pair of pearl white heels. "Here. These will make your legs look longer," she said. Marian stepped into them and smiled. She looked great. Pansy smiled. "Draco will have to watch you when all those boys in Diagon Alley see you."

Marian blushed. "I'm not very good with boys, Pansy," she said, turning to the young witch. "I mean, I had a lot of guy friends, but I've only had one boyfriend. That didn't last long."

Pansy chuckled. "Well, in this outfit, you'll knock them dead," she said.

Marian nodded. She picked up her satchel, but Pansy shook her head. "No. Use this bag," she pulled out a white shoulder purse. The strap was long enough to rest over Marian's shoulders comfortably.

Marian looked at her reflection one last time. The last time she'd looked this good, it had been at her freshman homecoming dance. It had taken hours just to get her hair right. Marian smiled at the mirror. "Never thought a cow hand could look this good," she said to herself as she pulled on the short jacket; it was ruffled at her waist.

Pansy handed her the purse. "I put your wallet in it. As well as some lip gloss, a brush, your wand, and a quill and notepad. Just in case someone asks for your address," she said with a wink. Marian blushed and took the purse. She pulled it over her head and set it on her shoulder, flipping her hair free of the jacket. Pansy grabbed Marian's hand and said, "Come on. Can't keep the boys waiting."

They headed back to the parlor. Draco looked up from his chess game with Blaise and they both stared. "What do you think?" Pansy said, smiling at her handiwork.

"If I weren't already with Pansy, I'd date you," Blaise said. Pansy chuckled.

"I wouldn't advise it, Blaise," Draco warned. He looked at her and smiled. "You look like a true Malfoy," he said.

Marian laughed. "Pansy has a talent," she said.

He extended his hand and said, "Shall we go?" She nodded and walked over to the fireplace with him. He pulled her close and threw Floo powder on the fire, calling, "The Leaky Caldron." Marian held onto Draco as they stumbled out of the fireplace of the tavern.

She pushed her hair out of her eyes and waited for Blaise and Pansy to show up. Marian looked around and already saw a number of witches and wizards looking at her and Draco. They were whispering to each other and pointing at them. Draco squeezed her hand for reassurance and she smiled at him. Blaise and Pansy joined them after that and they headed into Diagon Alley. It had stopped raining, thankfully.

As they walked down the row of shops, Marian looked around wildly, fascinated by what was being sold. In America, the only way you could get truly magical things, was to find a magical creature and bribe them to bring it to you. Unless you were in Salem, Massachusetts. Then you only had to find the right house. But here, there were tons of shops selling everything from Quidditch supplies to caldron accessories.

"Where do we go first?" she asked eagerly.

Draco took her hand and said, "First, I think we should get you some robes. After that, an owl."

Marian perked up. "I get my own owl?" she said.

He smiled at her enthusiasm. He wrapped an arm around her waist and said, "Any owl you want, Marian. Anything you want, too. I've got a few years of doting to catch up on."

She turned to him and threw her arms around his neck. He caught her and returned her hug. Marian pulled back and said, "You just earned yourself one heck of a birthday present, Draco."

"I should get you presents more often, then," he said.

Marian laughed. "I'm not saying that because you're getting me presents. I'm saying it because you care enough to mean it."

Draco smiled at her and the four of them walked into Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions. After a few hours of measurements and color splotches being held against Marian's skin, which Pansy was very enthusiastic about, Marian had five new general purpose robes, three formal robes, and a couple of business robes, most of which were Auror training robes. Draco gave the seamstress orders to have them delivered to Malfoy Manor.

Their next stop was the owl store; Eeylopes Owl Emporium. Marian was overwhelmed with the smell and sounds of the owls hooting at her from their cages. She didn't know which was better than others, but, thankfully, Blaise was very knowledgeable and told her to get a dark colored horned owl. As it was rung up, Marian smiled at it. "I'm going to call you...Pepper."

"Why?" Draco asked.

She smiled, stroking the bird's feathers through the cage. "I don't know. It just fits him, don't you think?" The owl hooted and lightly nipped at her fingers. Draco gave the same instructions as at the seamstress's; to have the owl delivered to the manor.

They left the shop and continued down the street. People stopped and stared at them. It was unusual for the three former Slytherins to be out and about together. And their curiosity of who the girl was, wasn't helping any, either. Marian ignored them, though. She was use to people staring at her. Her other brother, Andrew, had been very popular at his schools. She was always being stared at because no one could believe that she, dressed in the plainest clothes, could be related to the boy who had every girl falling over themselves for him. From what Cissy had told her, the same was true for Draco. At least this time, she was wearing something better than jeans and a t shirt.

She looked around and noticed a bright building. 'Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' was on a sign over the door. The large upper half of a man raised a hat off his head, showing a white rabbit. It was mechanical, taking up most of the top half of the building, but was still interesting. Marian stopped and pointed. "Can we go in there?" she asked.

Draco looked to where she pointed. He stiffened a bit. "Another day," he said. "I heard Auror training is starting in tomorrow. We better get you some bandages and healing salve for when you end each day."

Marian nodded at the logic, but she wasn't fooled. For some reason, Draco didn't want to go into that shop. She let it go and allowed Pansy to pull her into Magical Menagerie to buy a cute collar for Pepper. Blaise and Draco followed them without caring what the two girls were talking about.

It wasn't until they were headed to the counter with a braided silver, red, and blue collar, that Marian looked over at a number of cages that covered a wall. It reminded Marian of a regular pet store, with cats and rats sleeping in the cages. But one caught her eye.

She walked over to the last cage and knelt down to get a better look at the creature inside. It looked like a small dark fluffy puppy. It looked up at her and she smiled down into its red eyes. "Hey, there, little guy," she cooed, leaning closer. The puppy opened it's mouth in a yawn and Marian stared at the large, sharp teeth. It looked like they belonged on a full grown dog instead of the small pup before her. But, instead of being frightened, she smiled. "Aren't you cute?" She reached out and opened the cage door.

"Marian, what are you doing?" Draco asked. He sounded a little cautious.

Marian didn't answer, she extended her hand and waited for the pup to take her scent. It reached out and sniffed twice. Slowly, it walked out of its cage and into her lap. Marian lifted it up and hugged it, laughing as it licked her face. She smiled at Draco and said, "Can I have him?"

Draco and Blaise stared at her as if she were crazy. Pansy was rubbing her eyes. "What?" Marian asked.

"Do you know what you're holding?" Blaise asked. His voice was a bit shaky.

"A puppy," she said. She reached up and scratched the dog's ear.

"That's not just any puppy," Pansy said. "That's a Barghest."

"A what?"

"A Barghest. You know, the goblin dog that, if you see it, you'll die instantly?" Blaise said.

Marian looked at the puppy, who was wagging its tail happily. "I'm still here, though. So that must be false." She rubbed her nose against the pup's. "You're not a death dog, are you? Are you? No, you're not." Puppy yipped at her and she laughed.

She stood up, still holding the puppy, and looked at Draco. "Please?" she said. "I miss my dog from my old home. Can I have him? I'll take good care of him."

Draco stared at his sister and the pup she was holding. Both were looking at him, pleading in their eyes. Something inside Draco just couldn't resist. Maybe he was falling into his role of doting older brother too easily. "Alright," he said. "But he's your responsibility."

Marian smiled and said, "I know." She looked at the puppy and said, "You're coming home with me, little guy." Pansy smiled a bit and patted the dog's ear, thought Blaise still avoided going near it. Marian looked at Draco and said, "Will you help me find a collar and leash for the little guy?"

Draco shrugged and walked into the aisle holding leashes, collars, and little outfits designed for pets. Marian joined him and, as the looked at the accessories, she asked, "Why is Blaise so cautious around Quillic?"

"Quillic?" Draco asked. "You're naming it 'Quillic'?"

Marian nodded. "I like the name. But, about Blaise."

Draco looked at a pale blue collar and picked it up. "Blaise has always been afraid of dogs. Childhood trauma. But the Barghest was what he claimed to see the night his father died. Won't go near any dog that looks like one." He held the collar up. "What about this one?"

Marian nodded and picked up a matching leash. Both the collar and leash were designed to alter themselves to the puppy's growing body. They headed to the check out counter and put their purchases on the table.

The check out lady, who looked to be about 70, smiled at Marian. "I see you're taking the Barghest. Thank you. He needs a good home and he's been here far too long. No body wanted him."

Marian rubbed the puppy's back, smiling happily. "Well, I'm going to love him." The lady smiled and handed their purchases back in a bag.

The small group left the shop, Quillic wearing his new collar and walking in front of Marian as if he had done so for years.

Suddenly, a flash went off and reporters swarmed the group.

"Malfoy, who's the girl?" one called.

"New girlfriend?" another asked.

Draco put a hand on Marain's shoulder and said, "None of the above. This is Marian. She's my half sister."

**AN: The name 'Quillic' is actually the name of the puppy I will soon get. Though not a Barghest, he, or she, will be a German Shepard. I love those dogs. **


	5. Chapter 5

Marian felt something nudge her cheek. It felt wet and cold. She reached out and felt her fingers come in contact with soft fur. Slowly, she opened her eyes and smiled at Quillic's red eyes. "Hey, boy," she said sleepily, rubbing a spot behind his ears. He yipped happily and licked her face. Marian chuckled and sat up.

A house elf appeared in her room with a soft pop. "Polo came to wake Miss Malfoy. Miss's training starts in an hour. Mistress Malfoy wishes for Miss to come down for breakfast," the elf said.

"That is a lot of 'M's in one sentence," Marian murmured. She smiled at the house elf and said, "I'll be down in ten minutes." Polo nodded and popped out of her room.

Marian got up and took a quick shower. She ran a brush through her damp hair and pulled one of her Auror training robe over her tank top and jeans. She pulled her hair into a high ponytail and left the bathroom after brushing her teeth. Quillic followed on her heels, his nails clicking on the ground behind her.

The two of them walked into the dining hall. Lucius and Narcissa sat on opposite sides of a large table. Draco sat in the middle. All of them looked up as she walked over to the table. "Good morning," she said, smiling. She sat down next to Draco. Quillic sat next to her chair, wagging his tail. Polo showed up and set a bowl of food in front of him.

"Sleep well?" Draco asked.

Marian nodded, pouring herself some coffee. "Yes, thank you. I've never slept on such a comfortable mattress. Almost didn't want to get up this morning."

Narcissa looked over at Marian's pet. "Who's this?" she asked, reaching down and scratching the pup's ear. It wagged its tail, but continued to eat.

"That's Quillic. He's my new pet. Blaise called him a Barghest," Marian said, putting some food on her plate. She smiled as Narcissa paused. "Not to worry, Cissy. He's nothing like the legends."

Lucius chuckled. "Definitely Karen's daughter," Marian heard him say.

She looked at him and said, "What was that, father?"

He looked up. His cheeks were a bit splotchy and she knew he was holding back a sharp retort. Somehow, whenever she called him 'father', he got angry. Instead of answering her, he said, "Have you read the _Daily Prophet_ today?"

Marian looked at the table for it, but Draco held it up for her to read the headline. "Malfoy Family Finds New Member," she read out loud. "Yesterday, Draco Malfoy, son of infamous Death Eater Lucius Malfoy, was seen with his school friends, Blaise Zabinin and Pansy Parkinson. Joining this trio, was a young woman that looked remarkably like Lucius Malfoy. Reporters caught the group coming out of Magical Menagerie. After being asked who the woman was, Draco Malfoy had smiled and said, "This is Marian. She's my half sister." After an impromptu interview, it was found out that Marian had been living in America with her muggle mother. Marian was quoted to say 'I am currently living with my father and his wife. Cissy has welcomed me into the family with open arms.' Nothing was said about Lucius's reaction to meeting his daughter. Also, it has not been established if Marian will go with her old name or take on the Malfoy name, but this news has rocked the Wizarding world. Of course, Draco Malfoy doesn't seem to mind being a big brother."

Marian looked up after reading the article. "I saw it's safe to say that everyone knows I'm here," she said. A clock rang somewhere and she looked down at her watch. "Oh!" she said. She stood up and grabbed a piece of toast. "I'm gonna be late for training," she said. She leaned down and kissed Draco's cheek quickly before doing the same to Narcissa. She didn't bother with Lucius.

Quillic barked, staring up at her. Marian picked him up and said, "I'll be home tonight. And when I get home, we'll go for a run." She set him back down and turned to Cissy. "I'll try to be home before 10. I'm not sure what time training stops today, but I'll get dinner if it runs late."

Narcissa smiled and nodded. "Have fun, Maria."

Draco smirked. "Don't die," he said.

"That's reassuring," Marian said. She walked over to the fireplace and Flooed to the Ministry of Magic.

Draco looked at his mother. "That seemed almost normal," he said.

Narcissa smiled and took a bite of her eggs. Maria had just snubbed Lucius. First with the newspaper, then with sitting with Draco and her. The best part was when Marian had kissed Draco and Cissy goodbye...but not Lucius. Her plan was working.

Marian stepped out of the fireplace and looked around. The Ministry was something to behold. The surfaces were shinned and polished to reflect the light and sound of the fountain positioned in the middle of the lobby. All around, wizards and witches were stepping out of fireplaces, getting ready for work.

She walked up to a woman that sat in a booth shaped alcove. Marian smiled at the woman and said, "Could you help me, please? I'm trying to find where Aurors in training are to report."

The woman looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Level three, room 115," she said.

Marian smiled. "Thank you, ma'am," she said and walked over to the lifts. She saw one that was almost empty, and stepped in. The doors closed behind her and descended the shaft, carrying her and three others.

Marian turned to the other occupants and said, "Good morning."

They nodded. Two were men and the other a young woman. One man had black hair, big round glasses, and a scar on his forehead. The other one had red hair, green eyes, and freckles. The woman had long brown hair, brown eyes, and a copy of the _Prophet_ in her hands. The red headed man raised an eyebrow. "You look familiar," he said.

Marian tilted her head. "Have you ever been in America?" she asked.

He shook his head. "No. But I get the feeling that I've seen you before." He extended his hand. "I'm Ron Weasley. This is Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."

Marian smiled at each in turn. "Nice to meet you," she said, shaking all of their hands. "I'm Marian. But call me Maria."

Hermione studied her, then her eyes widened. "I know who you are," she said.

"You do?" Ron asked. Harry stared at his friend.

Hermione raised her newspaper and showed the front. She pointed to the picture of Marian and Draco in Diagon Alley. "You're Marian Malfoy," she said.

Marian laughed. "That's me," she said. "Draco's my half brother."

Hermione smiled. "So sorry to hear that," she said.

"Why?" Marian asked, raising a confused eyebrow.

"Malfoy is a serious git," she said. "We called him ferret face."

Marian laughed. "Ferret face?" she said, leaning against the wall of the lift. "Oh, that's good. I'll have to remember that."

Ron stared at her funny. "You don't find him stuck up and arrogant?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Not really," she said. "He's been nice to me. Said he had a couple of years of doting to catch up on. He got me a Barghest."

Hermione's eyes widened. "You have a Barghest?" she asked, surprised.

Marian nodded. "His name is Quillic," she said. "How do you know my brother?"

Harry spoke up. "We all went to school together. Same year in Hogwarts," he said.

"The git-sorry," Ron said when Marian looked at him. "Malfoy was on the Slytherin Quidditch team rivaling Gryffindor."

"Let me guess," Marian said. "You were on the Gryffindor team."

Ron flexed his arm. "The best Keeper they had." Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry chuckled.

Marian smiled. "I'm sure you did a wonderful job. I, for one, would probably do terribly in Quidditch."

"You've played?" Harry said. "I thought they didn't have Quidditch in America."

"They don't. Surprisingly, there aren't many witches and wizards in America, unless you're on the east coast. Not enough people for a game, I'm afraid, so we don't really do Quidditch. But we have other fun."

The lift stopped on level three and the doors opened. Marian stepped out and the others followed. "Are you going into Auror training, as well?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said.

Ron laughed. "Sorry," he said when the others looked at him. "I find it funny that a Malfoy is becoming an Auror."

Marian chuckled. "I hope you won't hold that against me, Ron. I came to England to do something meaningful and I don't want enemies."

He smiled encouragingly. "I'll like you if you do any of my written work," he said.

She rolled her eyes. "And what would you learn?" she asked, putting her hand on the door knob of room 115. Marian paused and looked at the knob.

"What?" Harry asked as she pulled her wand out of her pocket. She motioned for the others to pull out their wands and gripped the knob.

She looked up and said in a low voice, "Are door knobs suppose to vibrate?" The other three prepared themselves, gripping their wands. Slowly, Marian turned the knob. Harry nodded their readiness. She threw the door open and rushed in, body crouched down and wand sweeping the area.

Harry spread out to to her left, Ron to her right, and Hermione behind her as back up. They scanned the area. The room was empty of people or equipment. The only thing there was a black board that looked like it had seen better days.

"Clear," Marian said.

"Clear," Ron and Harry said.

"Clear," Hermione said. They straightened, but didn't put their wands away.

Ron looked around. "Is this suppose to be the right room?" he asked.

"It's the right room," Marian said, looking around. She walked up to the black board and examined it. It seemed normal. Chalk marks were still on the slate, having been erased. Marian tapped the board with her wand. Chalk swirled from the wooden tray and attached itself to the board. When it finally stopped, words were written on the board. 'Look Behind You'.

Marian turned and shouted, "Gremlins!"

The other three looked around and up, raising their wands as a hoard of small dark creatures crawled down from their perches above the door. They were jumping down and running toward the four. They backed up until heir backs pressed against the black board.

"What are we going to do?" Ron asked.

"What stops gremlins," Marian said. A gremlin jumped up, its mouth open and ready to bite her. She shot a blue light at it, making it fall back into the hoard.

Hermione blocked another gremlin. "Cheese!" she said. The boys looked at her strangely.

Marian's mouth fell open. "That's it!" she said. "Cheese. Gremlins like cheese and dairy products. Conjure cheese." They conjured cheese and threw it to the other side of the room. Immediately, the hoard ran to get the cheese.

Hermione smiled. "That was weird. But awesome," she said.

"Great thinking, Hermione," Harry said.

"But why are there gremlins in the Auror training room?" Ron asked.

Marian looked at the chalk board. There were no other words than the ones on the board. Only those three words. She tapped the board again. The chalk floated up from the wooden tray and settled itself again. This message was longer. "Guys," she said. "Listen. 'Congratulations. Though this test may have been eccentric, it was necessary. Please touch the board with your wands. You have passed the first test and will be transported to your instructor.'" Marian looked up at the others and placed her wand on the board. Hermione, Harry, and Ron did the same.

There was a pull on Marain's skin and they were suddenly standing in a clearing. They removed their wands from the board and it vanished, probably going to get other trainees. They looked around. "

"Who's that?" Ron asked. They turned to where he was pointing.

A tall woman stood leaning against a tree, smiling at the four. "I'm your instructor," she said. "The test was to see who would be ready for training. Some passed, some got bit by gremlins. The ones that passed, like you four, were sent to instructors that will cover their training. I am yours." She straightened and walked forward into the clearing. Her red hair was piled up on her head in a fashionable bun and she wore her Auror robes. "My name is Julia Hart. You four are Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Marian Malfoy. Each famous in their own right."

Marian looked at the other three. "You're all famous?" she asked.

They stared at her. "Yeah," Ron said. "We fought in the last Wizarding War. We ended it by killing Voldemort."

She looked at Harry. "You're the Boy-Who-Lived?" she said. He nodded. "Wow. You don't look like what I expected." He smiled and they looked back at Julia.

"Training will take four months. Every day, I will make you work harder than you ever worked before. Training will continue until late and you will be sore. If you can't take it, you can drop out any time." Julia smiled. "Now. Let's go have some fun with the goblins."


	6. Chapter 6

Marian followed Julia through the forest. Hermione walked next to her while the boys followed behind.

"Tell me something about yourself," Hermione said.

Marian shrugged. "I'm not that interesting," she said. "But feel free to ask me anything."

"Anything?" Hermione asked.

Marian chuckled. "I get the feeling that we're going to have to trust each other since we'll be training together. Like the Marines."

"Marines?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah. American Marines have hardcore training. The guy next to you is going to save your life." Marian looked at her. "I think the same thing applies with this. Trust in the person and knowing that anything you say will not go anywhere."

Hermione nodded. "Alright. How did you learn magic?" she asked.

"Dumbledore sent tutors to teach me during the summer," Marian said. "My mother wasn't too crazy about the idea, so my going to camp every summer, was a cover. A few Aurors were my teachers in Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"Why didn't your mother want you to learn magic?" Hermione asked.

Marian shrugged. "I guess she thought that, since my father had been a wizard and belonged in a different world than her, that magic would take me away. She was right, unfortunately."

"How did you come to live with the Malfoys," Harry said, walking on her other side. Ron was behind her and to the right. Julia didn't bother looking behind her.

"Cissy, Draco's mother, appeared in my barn while I was doing chores a few weeks ago," Marian said. "She gave me proof that Lucius was my father. Before that, I hadn't known who he was, just that he was a wizard. We got to know each other over the weeks. She would come when I did my chores, we would talk, and she would leave after a few hours. I got to know a lot about Draco and her family. Then, she gave me an offer. Come live with her and her family in England. I could stay with them and become an Auror."

"What would they get?" Ron asked. Marian looked over her shoulder. "What? I know the Malfoys. They do things for their own benefit. What do they get?"

She smiled. "I am not at liberty to say, Ron."

"We're here," Julia said, stopping. They looked up and saw that they had come to an open rock valley. A group of goblins stood in a huddle, talking in their own language and leaning against large battle axes. Julia turned and smiled. "Your first lesson is how to deal with goblins on a rampage. A few Gringot workers have volunteered for today's exercise. Now, you are to subdue them without harming them."

"That doesn't sound too hard," Ron said.

Julia smiled. "You'll be completing this task," she waved her wand and loose dirt filled the valley. "In a dust cloud. You will be timed. You should be able to finish in two minutes. Go."

Marian walked through the door of the Malfoy Manor, brushing off dirt from her robes. Quillic ran into the foyer, tongue out and tail wagging. Marian bent down and lifted the squirming pup, who licked her face. "I get a bath even before I get up to my room," she said, laughing.

Draco walked out of a side door and froze as he took in her appearance. "What happened to you?" he said, walking toward her and pulling out a handkerchief. He started to wipe away some of the dirt.

Marian chuckled, reaching up and stopping Draco's clean up of her face. "A dust storm and a group of goblins trying to kill my team, is what happened to me," she said. Her smile was still on her face, but Draco blinked.

"What?" he said.

Marian laughed. "Auror training was brutal. First, we had to fend off a hoard of gremlins. Then, we were transported to the a forest where we had to subdue a group of angry goblins in a dust storm. We had to practice it over and over until we could do it under two minutes. I have dirt in places that I don't want to think about." She set Quillic down and hugged her brother. "How was your day, ferret face?"

He stiffened and pulled back. "Where did you hear that name?" he asked, his jaw ticking.

"From my new team. Apparently, they went to school with you," she said. She made her way into the dining room, glad to see that there was a plate set out for her dinner. She sat down and cut into a piece of meatloaf.

"Who are they?" Draco said, sitting next to her. "And what do you mean 'team'?"

Marian took a swig of pumpkin juice and swallowed. "I met them in the lift this morning. We went to the room the lady at the front desk said to go to. It was empty except for a chalkboard. I tapped my wand on the slate and it said 'Look Behind You'. We did and there were gremlins. We conjured cheese and threw it to distract them. After that, we put our wands on the board. It took us to a forest and the rest I already told you. But, since it was just us that were transported, we are now in a team. From now on, we will all be working with each other." She put a forkful of mashed potatoes in her mouth.

Draco rolled his eyes. "But who are they, Mare?"

Marian stopped eating. "What did you call me?" she asked.

"I called you 'Mare'," he said. "Short for 'Marian'."

"No one's ever called me that," she said. "Cool."

"Are you going to answer my question?" he asked.

Marian leaned forward and said, "Do you really want to know?" Draco gave her a look stating his opinion. "Fine," she said. She took a bite of broccoli before continuing. "Their names are Ron Weasley, Harry Potter, and Hermione Granger."

Draco's jaw dropped. "Weasel, Scarhead, and Granger?" he said.

Marian smiled. "So you do know them," she said, taking another bite of meatloaf.

"They're your team?" he said, sounding a bit disbelieving.

She raised an eyebrow. "Yeah. And by the sound of their nicknames, you don't like the boys."

"I don't like any of them," he said. "And why did you mention only the boys?"

Marian tilted her head to the side, studying Draco. "You call Ron and Harry, 'Weasel' and 'Scarhead'. But you call Hermione, 'Granger'. Either you're not creative enough to come up with a colorful or funny nickname...or you like her. Or, you like her more than you do the boys."

Draco snorted. "Like I would care about a mudblood like-" Marian reached over and punched his arm. "Ow! What was that for?" he said, grabbing the area she'd punched.

"Don't," she said, pointing her knife at him, "Ever call Hermione that vile word. If you do, it won't be your arm I'll punch." Quillic growled from his spot next to her chair.

Draco held his hands up in surrender. "Okay," he said. "I promise not to call her that."

"Or anyone else that name?" Marian said, glaring.

"Or anyone else," Draco said.

She gave a sharp nod and returned to her meal. Quillic stopped his growling and leaned against her ankle. "Anyway, yeah. They're going to be on my team. We're a permanent team." She smiled at him. "They may even have to come over some time."

Draco narrowed his eyes. "I'll be gone, by then," he said.

"I'll give you a warning before we come here," she said, laughing. "If I can."

He rolled his eyes. "Well, you better get a shower," he said. "Mother isn't going to be happy that you got your robes dirty."

Marian smiled and finished her pumpkin juice. "Alright," she said. "I'm going." She stood and called Quillic. The pup ran after her. Marian turned. "Did you pick up the bandages we were suppose to get yesterday?"

Draco nodded. "They're in your bathroom. Now go clean up. You're getting dirt on the floor."

Marian smirked. "Oh, heaven forbid if I get dirt on the floor," she said. Draco smirked, as well. "So, just to be clear, I'm not suppose to do this," she said, shaking the robes. "Or this," she patted her clothes, making more dust fall on the floor.

Draco laughed, getting up and pulling her out of the room. "The house elves will have your head if you make anymore of a mess," he said, dragging her up the stairs.

"Know from experience, Draco?" Marian taunted, smirking as he pushed her into her room.

He pointed to the bathroom. "Clean up," he said.

"Yes, bossy," she said, pulling off her dirty robes. Her tank top didn't have a clean spot on it, neither did her jeans. "I hate dust storms," she said, heading into the bathroom to clean up.


	7. Chapter 7

Ron plopped down onto a bench and groaned. "I'm so sore," he said, rubbing his back.

"Yeah," Harry said, laying next to his friend. "Who knew that Quillic ran so fast?"

Marian laughed, scratching her pet's ears. "Come on, boys," she said. "Can't you two keep up? It's a simple morning run. Gets your blood pumping. You need that with the colder weather coming in."

Ron and Harry groaned. Auror training had been going on for two months and Marian had become good friends with Ron, Harry, and Hermione. They liked to hang out after sessions, if it wasn't too late, and the boys had recently begun to join Marian on her morning runs with Quillic. They weren't use to them, yet, though.

Quillic walked over and licked Harry's face to get him up. He'd grown bigger over the months. He was now as tall as her waist. He was still fluffy, but the fur at his shoulders was beginning to have a spiked look to it.

Marian laughed as Harry was pushed back by the Barghest. Ron chuckled, too. Harry curled up, hiding his face as Quillic tried to get Harry's scarf to himself. "Quillic," Marian said. "Leave poor Harry alone." Quillic licked Harry's ear and returned to his mistress's side. Marian rubbed his ears, praising him.

Ron looked at his watch. "Come on," he said, getting up. "Hermione's waiting for us at the cafe."

"I hope she has the book I asked her to pick up," Marian said.

Ron rolled his eyes. "You two were a match made in heaven," he said. "Both bookworms."

"Reading makes you smarter, Ron," she said, walking down the trail to the cafe they were to meet Hermione at. "Apparently, you didn't get that Owl."

Harry laughed as Ron turned red. "Yeah, well...I can still fly better than you," he shot back. "I saw how much of a problem you had with trying to catch those Snapping Apples during training."

Marian pointed at him. "I would have beaten you if Julia hadn't set the tail of my broom on fire," she said.

"Excuses, excuses," Harry said, falling into step with the two. "You two fight like an old married couple."

Ron laughed. "Do you know what my family would say if I married a Malfoy?" he said. "They'd disown me."

Marian rolled her eyes. "Your family would love me," she said, smacking his arm.

"Ow!" Ron said, 'cringing' away. "Why are you so abusive?"

Marian laughed. "It's how I show my affection, Ronny," she said, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing his cheek.

"Eww!" Ron said, pulling away and wiping his cheek. "Malfoy germs."

Harry and Marian laughed at Ron's dramatics. They were still laughing when they arrived at the cafe. Hermione was already sitting at their usual table on the patio, a book open in front of her.

She looked up and smiled at the three. Quillic bounded forward and licked Hermione's hand, eager for attention. He preferred female attention over male. Hermione smiled. "Hey, boy," she said, scratching under his chin. "Why is everyone laughing?" she asked her friends.

They all took their regular places; Marian across from Hermione, Ron on her left, and Harry on her right. Their drinks had already been ordered and they enjoyed them as the story of that morning was retold. A waitress came over and gave Quillic a bowl of water. The quartet were regulars and everyone knew what to do for them. Thankfully, they didn't bother them about having a dog; it was the patio, after all. Just, thank goodness the patio was covered in a warming spell.

Hermione chuckled as she took a sip of her cappuccino. "You deserved that smack," she said to Ron.

He threw his hands up. "Of course you would side with her," he said. "Girls always stick together."

"And that, Ronald," Marian said, raising her black coffee, "Is why you will never win in our arguments." Hermione laughed and tapped her drink with Marian's.

Harry laughed and looked at his watch. "Well, training starts in twenty minutes," he said. "We better hurry if we want to get Quillic home."

Marian downed the rest of her coffee. "I'll take him back," she said. "See you at practice." She turned to run back to the Manor, but all four of them were suddenly summoned away.

There was a spinning sensation and they landed on grass in their training field. Marian felt something wet on her cheek and opened her eyes to see Quillic by her side, his tail wagging as if they were playing a game. She sat up and looked up at Julia's smiling face.

"You have one hell of a way to get us to training," Ron said, rubbing his bum.

Julia shrugged. "I felt festive," she said. "Call it my Christmas imp."

"Christmas is three months away," Hermione said, standing up.

"Can never be too early to have an impish impulse," Julia said. She spotted Quillic and said, "Who's this?"

Marian got to her feet and said, "This is Quillic, my Barghest. We were walking him when you brought us here."

Julia knelt down and petted the beast. Quillic's foot thumped against the ground, as it did when someone found his sweet spot. "He's cute for a Barghest," Julia said. She looked up and said, "Have you ever thought about having him as an attack animal? The Aurors don't have an attack team, yet. Quillic seems like the kind of animal that would do well for something like that."

Marian raised her hands. "I don't have any say. Ask Quillic," she said.

Julia smiled and looked at the Barghest. "How about it, Quillic?" she said. "Want to be with Marian all day and help her out?" Quillic wagged his tail, barking. His impressive fangs flashed in the light. "I take that as a yes," Julia said, slightly edgy after seeing the teeth. She stood. "Alright, today, we're going to have fun."

"That's what you said about the singing trolls," Harry said. "I was tone deaf for a week."

Julia chuckled. She was always smiling. That was probably the only thing that didn't make training so bad. "But this will be fun," she said. "We're going to play tag."

"With what?" Hermione said. The last time they'd played tag, it was with rampaging unicorns.

Julia smiled. "Each other," she said. "Hermione and Harry against Ron and Marian. And it's more of a race, than tag." She pointed out to the valley. "On the other side of the valley, there is a flag. This flag will be around Quillic's neck," here, she put a bandana around the beast's neck. "The first team to get to the flag will receive a special reward. But capturing the flag does not guarantee the win. You must take out the other team. You may begin."

Quillic took off toward the other end of the valley. Hermione and Harry ran after it. Ron looked at Marian, who was scanning the valley. "Aren't we going to follow Quillic?" he said.

"We could follow blindly, but there has to be a quicker way around the valley," she said. Her eyes found a trail along the wall. She pointed. "There. A path. It's high ground and cuts down time. Come on," she said.

They headed to the path and started along that. They kept close to the wall, scanning the area for any traps or the other team. Ron grabbed Marian's shoulder. "There," he said, pointing to a space in the trees. Marian looked and saw Harry through the canopy. She took aim with her wand and shot a binding spell. It hit the spot where his foot had been a second ago.

He looked up and, spotting them, shot his own spell at them. Ron deflected it, making it hit the wall behind them. "Move," Marian said. They picked up the pace, keeping low.

"Harry's following us," Ron said.

"Keep him in your sight, Ron. Cover our backs," Marian said. "I'll look out for Hermione."

They got to the end of the path and climbed up to level ground. Marian looked around. "Do you still see Harry, Ron?" she asked. When no one answered her, she turned and found Ron doubled over, breathing hard. "You alright?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah," he breathed. "Gotta...run...more."

Marian laughed. "Catch your breath. We have to find Quillic." She looked around and saw Harry coming up the side of the hill. Marian raised her wand and called, "Stupefy!" The spell hit him and he fell. "Sorry, Harry," she called for him to hear.

Ron grabbed her wrist and pulled her along as they continued to move. "Hermione's still out there," he said.

Marian ran and spotted a dark shape. "Quillic! Here, boy," she called. The shape turned and raced toward them. Marian ran toward her pet and heard a thud behind her. She looked over her shoulder and saw Ron fall, Hermione running quickly behind her.

Marian ran harder, reaching Quillic. As her hand gripped the flag, Hermione's hand grabbed it, as well. The two looked at each other. "Who won?" Marian said.

Hermione shrugged. She looked over at Ron and bit her lip. "Do you think he'll be mad at me?" she asked.

"I doubt it," Julia said, apparating next to the two girls. "Well, since both teams took care of the other, and you both got the flag, then it only makes sense that you should all get the reward." She waved her wand and the boys appeared next to her, completely restored to their old self. "Your rewards," Julia said once they steadied themselves, "Are tickets to the Ministry of Magic's Christmas Ball in three months."

Harry stared. "We just competed for tickets to a ball?" he said.

Julia nodded, clapping her hands excitedly. "Isn't it wonderful?" she said.

Marian and Hermione exchanged looks before rolling their eyes. Julia was a good teacher...though someone must have dropped her on her head. She was almost as bad as Mad-Eyed Moody. Quillic licked Marian's face.

**AN: What do you think? I thought it would be nice to have Quillic in there a bit more. No dog likes to be left home while their master or mistress is off at work. And I liked the challenge. It reminds me of when you work really really hard and you end up with a prize that isn't what you thought. It was also kinda fun to write. So, tell me what you think.**


	8. Chapter 8

Marian was home earlier than expected that day. Julia had dismissed them after their game. Harry and Ron had gone to see the Weasleys, whom Marian had yet to meet, and Hermione had, characteristically, gone to the bookstore. That left Marian on her own to entertain herself for the rest of the day. Maybe Draco would like to hang out.

She was playing with ideas of what they could do, when a hand landed on her shoulder. She turned and raised her wand. Lucius looked at her, the tip of her wand resting over his jugular. He stared at her calmly. "Good afternoon, Maria," he said.

She slowly lowered her wand and slipped it into her pocket. "Good afternoon, Lucius," she said, turning on her heal and walking away with Quillic behind her.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

The request surprised Marian. She stopped walking and turned to face him. "About what?" she asked. Lucius waved to the parlor. Marian studied him for a moment, then walked into the room. Tea had already been set out for two people. Marian sat down in a chair and waited for Lucius to talk.

He sat opposite her. "Maria," he said. "Why are you here?"

She kept a straight face on as she answered. "Cissy invited me here."

"Why?" he asked.

"You'd have to ask her that, Lucius," Marian said, pouring herself some tea. Quillic laid down at her feet, watching Lucius closely with its read eyes.

"I did," Lucius said. "She said it was to rub my failure in my face."

Marian took a sip of her tea. "Then you have your answer," she said.

"But I want to know why you came," he said. "It can't be just because you could become an Auror."

Marian set her tea down and leaned back in her chair, looking at the man that was suppose to be her father. "How well of a relationship did you have with your father, Lucius?" she asked.

He stared at her strangely. "My father and I barely talked."

"And why is that?"

"I was raised by house elves and tutors. That was how things were done when I was young," Lucius said. He hadn't touched his tea since sitting down.

"But you saw him at dinner," Marian said. "You saw him and knew that he was your father. He may not have loved you like you had wanted him to, but he was your father." Lucius nodded dumbly. "Well, when I sat at my old home's dining table, I would look at the man there and say, 'He isn't my father. He's my stepfather. He doesn't care for me because I am not his and he knows I'm not his.' I was unwanted in my own home, Lucius. No one wanted me anywhere; it was worse than being an orphan."

Marian looked at her tea and circled a finger around the rim. "Cissy was different. Sure, she came to me in hopes of making you suffer for what you had put your family through. But, by the end, we had a bond. She loved me like a daughter and she became my mother. I only call her 'Cissy' until she wishes me to call her 'mother'. For I will." She looked up. "But you, I will never call you 'father'. Not until you can prove that you love your children."

Lucius stared at her. "My family was kept safe throughout the war because of what I did for the Dark Lord," he said. "Without me being a Death Eater-"

"They would have been safe if you had a back bone, you coward," Marian said. She glared at him. "I've read the papers and reports on what you Death Eaters did to people. Especially muggle born. I didn't, for the longest time, understand how you could become a Death Eater. You had slept with and conceived a child with a muggle. You knew about me, don't deny it. You kept in contact with my mother so she would send you updates about me, though it killed her inside to know you were still in her life through me. With all that, you became a bringer of death to anyone with muggle blood in their veins. I didn't know why. But now I do. You wanted to be part of something; a family. Even though you had a wife and son, you wanted a family that would love you unconditionally. It's the same with gangs. You joined a gang because you wanted a place to belong. Well, I have a news flash for you, Lucius," she said, standing up in anger. "There is no way in hell that you're going to get that until you realize that everything you wanted could have been achieved without you making your family suffer in the process." She turned on her heel and stormed out.

She passed the doors to the parlor and saw Draco and Narcissa standing there, eyes wide. They'd heard the entire conversation and probably knew the torment Marian was going through. Having your own father abandon you to a mother who regretted having her, ignoring her for years, and finding out he was a messed up piece of work.

Tears burned in her eyes and she threw herself into her brother's arms, sobbing into his shirt. Draco wrapped his arms around her and just held her, rubbing her back. Narcissa patted Marian's hair in comfort.

She'd heard everything. She did want her husband to realize how much this family should mean to him, but she had gone to far. She hadn't taken Marian's true feelings into consideration; she would always be sorry for that. Narcissa had tried to bring the family together. Not tear them apart.

She leaned in and kissed Marian's forehead. The girl looked up, tears falling from her blue-hazel eyes. "I would gladly call you my daughter," Narcissa said.

Marian sniffed and pulled Narcissa into the hug. "I love you, Mom," she said.

Narcissa hugged her to her with one arm while pulling Draco into the hug with the other. They stood there for a moment, all hugging one another. Some people would have called it a hug-fest. Those three, though, would call it a family moment. Because that is how they felt. Like a family.

Marian slowly pulled back and wiped her eyes free of tears. "I'm sorry," she said, once she gained control over herself.

Narcissa smiled and said, "Don't be, dear."

Draco nodded. "Yeah," he said. "You look better with a red nose."

Marian smacked him, but laughed anyway. She opened her mouth in shock, then. "Oh, I almost forgot," she said, reaching into her pocket. She pulled out six tickets. "We had this stupid game thing for training and the prize were tickets to the Ministry of Magic's Christmas Ball. It's in three months and I have a ticket for everyone. Would you like to go?"

Narcissa took a ticket and smiled. "I'd love to," she said. "I love seeing old friends."

Draco shrugged, taking his ticket. "Might as well," he said. "Nothing planned during that time, anyway."

Marian smiled. "Great. I'll send Blaise and Pansy theirs. That leaves one extra," she said. Her smile faded a bit, but she shrugged. "I'll find someone to give it to," she said, stuffing the ticket in her pocket.

Narcissa nodded in understanding. She reached out and cupped her new daughter's cheek. "I'm sorry I brought you into this mess, Maria," she said. "I had a plan and you went with it so effortlessly. I just never thought about...I'm sorry."

Marian smiled and shook her head. "I'm fine," she said. "These past two months have been the best in a long time. I feel at home here. Thank you for bringing me here." She looked over her shoulder at the parlor where Lucius was still sitting, not listening to them. "Though it'll take a long time for me to accept Lucius as my father, I'm going to enjoy this family for all that I can."

Draco smiled and ruffled her hair. "Well," he said as Marian smoothed her hair back to it's original state. "How about we all go to a late lunch? Someplace cheerful."

Marian nodded and let him apparate her and her new mother to someplace that didn't hold Lucius's cowardice form. She wouldn't dwell on the one who had left her. Marian had a family. And her mother and brother loved her.

**AN: Okay, I know this story was short. But it was more of a prologue kind of story. So, look for Book 2: Christmas Magic and Meddling. I know it's not Christmas, but, in the story, I say it is. And I have that power. Lol. Review, please. Probably tell me something you want to see in the second story. I'll even give you credit on an idea if I like it and use it. Thanks for reading. See you in the next story. **


End file.
